JUNE 20, 1962

HYDE PARK—If you happen to be in New York City any day this week—no matter what part of the
country you come from—I'd like to urge you to wander down 42nd Street and look at
4 East 42nd Street. The Peace Corps is spending this week at this address after having
spent a similar amount of time in a number of other cities around the country.

This information center is available to anyone interested, and if you can't call in
person the telephone number is OXford 7-7844. The office is open from 8:30 a.m. until
11:30 at night, and Peace Corps workers are constantly on hand to answer questions.
If there is any prospective volunteer in your family, there are pamphlets and brochures
and questionnaires that may be packed up or mailed on request.

Also, you are invited to sit down and watch for an hour or so documentary films showing
Peace Corps work and training in Tanganyika. These are shown in a room separate from
the interview room, and admission is free. Remember, this office will be open at least
until this coming Saturday.

In 20 other major American cities where these temporary Peace Corps offices were set
up the attendance was excellent and enthusiastic. Mr. Arnie Zack, who is the special
assistant for public affairs in the Peace Corps, told me, "Many of our present-day
volunteers, who are now all over the world, made their first contacts with the corps
through our traveling information office." I also learned that senior staff members
are speaking at vocational schools, at schools for nursing, and wherever an interest
is shown in knowing more about the Peace Corps.

The particular requirements at present are for nurses, teachers, building tradesmen,
automobile mechanics, engineers and health technicians. A college education is not
necessary for many Peace Corps positions if the applicant has experience in his field.
The minimum age for acceptance in the corps is 18. There is no upper-age limit, and
married couples who have no dependents are also eligible for many volunteer positions.

As a rule, training begins with eights weeks at an American college or university
where the history and the customs and the language of the country to which the trainee
may be going are chiefly emphasized. The second part of the training is a four-week
period in Puerto Rico. These four weeks are designed to build confidence in the trainee
in meeting unusual situations which may arise during his tour of duty anywhere in
the world. Then the final phase of training is in the host country where the trainee
is going to work. This usually does not exceed four weeks.

The volunteers receive an allowance sufficient to cover food, clothing, housing, medical
and miscellaneous needs. An effort is made in the Peace Corps to avoid the mistakes
of having our workers live at a different standard from the people in whose country
they are working. These differing standards have been in evidence with our soldiers
all over the world and have created antagonisms.

Peace Corps volunteers get $75 a month banked for them in this country, which they
will get on their return unless they have made certain allotments during their period
of service. The volunteers also receive 30 days of leave during the year, which does
give them an opportunity for travel and contact with the country in the area in which
they may be staying.

To change from the Peace Corps to a phase of American business, I want to mention
that the National Better Business Bureau is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Since a number of our business leaders felt that government was encroaching too much
in its regulation of business, they banded together in 1912 and organized the National
Better Business Bureau to do much of its own regulation.

It serves the public interest by promoting truthful advertising and sales practices
in business and industry. It has often succeeded in exposing the charlatans, and it
has worked with advertisers and advertising agencies to prevent misleading, untruthful
and unethical sales practices. It is one of the best assurances we have that business
is willing to accept its responsibilities to the public and to the nation.

I feel the National Better Business Bureau is one of the most reliable sources of
information for the public in general and, if properly used, will save many people
from being fooled and drawn into situations with unethical and unreliable people or
groups.